[PG] Hello, Dream [EXO] (2/2)
Title: Hello, Dream
Author: airplanewishes
Fandom: EXO
Characters: D.O./Kai, D.O./Suho
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Fluff
Rating: PG
WC: 10,219
Summary: No matter how many times his friends pushed him, Kyungsoo still wouldn't go out and date.
A/N: This may be read as a side-story to Someday Dream.
Beta'd by the awesome khrysallis1106. She's the best seriously. I don't know anyone else who can put up with the amount of typographical errors that I have.
Part 1
Hello, Dream Part 2
“You did what?!” Luhan practically screeched. He stood up so quickly that the chair he had been occupying toppled over, disturbing the customers in the café.
Kyungsoo glared at him. “Can you keep it down?” he hissed.
“I will not keep it down,” Luhan stated heatedly, his voice carrying over all the other tables. “You may have just lost your chance with Junmyeon because of your stupidity!”
Baekhyun pulled Luhan back to his seat and stomped on his foot, making him whimper in pain. Jongdae shot him a sympathetic look. Baekhyun was wearing his shoes with the especially hard soles that day.
“Thank you,” Kyungsoo told Baekhyun.
“Don’t thank me,” Baekhyun retorted, an eyebrow raised. “I’m as mad as he is. I’m just better at containing it.”
“Oh,” Kyungsoo frowned.
He wished he hadn’t told them anything about what he and Junmyeon talked about that night in the dance studio. It just had been one of those conversations that steered towards an old love. It had been so long since he’d talked about Jongin aloud that he got carried away. Now they were all upset with him. He bit his lip.
“Look, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae began to speak in a much calmer tone that the other two. “All we’re saying is maybe, maybe it was premature. I mean, you and Junmyeon had just known each other and suddenly you were talking about Jongin like you’re still in love with him and that’s-.” He stopped talking and gave Kyungsoo a curious look. “Are you still in love with Jongin?”
“I…” Kyungsoo hesitated.
“Oh my god,” Luhan facepalmed himself and Baekhyun’s face twitched. “That’s an eternity ago, Kyungsoo. Don’t you think it’s about time that you let that go? That you let him go? You’re an adult and you can’t be forever hung over some person who’s probably forgotten about you already.”
Kyungsoo stilled at Luhan’s words. Despite the fact that he was probably right, it didn’t make it hurt any less. He glanced at the counter to make sure that Minseok was handling things just fine before standing up.
“I’ll just… go for a walk,” Kyungsoo told them quietly before making his way out of the café.
“Congratulations, Luhan,” Jongdae dryly stated, leaning back on his seat. “I think you were too harsh.”
“I was being realistic,” Luhan defended himself.
“Maybe you were being realistic to yourself,” Baekhyun retorted. “Not everyone is like you, Luhan. Some people move on far slower than you do with all the people you date.” He then stood up, leaving an amused Jongdae and a stunned Luhan.
-
Kyungsoo found himself in front of Junmyeon’s dance studio. He wasn’t sure how he came to be there, just that he was there. So just what was he intending to do? He sighed and leaned his back against the wall beside the entrance. Luhan was right. He may have ruined his chances with Junmyeon, if he even ever hoped for one.
Maybe he should tell Junmyeon the truth. He should apologize for everything, for maybe leading him on, for maybe trying not that hard to make things possibly work between the two of them.
He pushed himself off the wall and moved to enter the dance studio. His hand was pushing the door open when he saw and heard Baekhyun calling for him.
“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun demanded, panting.
“I was just going to talk to Junmyeon, to tell him the truth, that I can’t pursue whatever this is that’s going on between us,” Kyungsoo explained. It was just fair, he thought.
But Baekhyun shook his head. “That’s a bad idea,” he promised him. “Especially since you’re highly emotional at the moment. Come,” he decided, taking Kyungsoo’s hand, “let’s take a walk.”
Kyungsoo followed Baekhyun’s lead. They walked and walked and walked without saying a word to each other. After a while, they finally stopped at the park, where they sat down on a wooden bench.
“You know Luhan’s just looking out for you, right? Like, that’s just his way of doing things,” Baekhyun broke the silence, glancing at him.
Kyungsoo chuckled. “I get why he said what he said,” he sighed. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should move on. It has been years, after all.”
“More like a decade,” Baekhyun murmured. “I didn’t even think you were still holding a torch for him. You haven’t even seen him since then.”
“I know,” Kyungsoo responded, almost defeated. “Just… I’ve tried seeing other people and I just can’t. There’s still part of me that’s hoping that maybe there’s still a chance. I just want to know how he’s doing. If he’s moved on, then maybe that’s just what I need.”
“You know the chances that he’s moved on are very big, don’t you?” Baekhyun asked, fully looking at him. “Why would you set yourself up for disappointment this big?”
Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’m not,” he told him, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. “I just still love him that’s all.”
Baekhyun’s eyes softened and it seemed like he had to bite back a laugh that was bubbling up his throat. “I wish I was like you, Kyungsoo,” he very quietly admitted.
“I don’t wish this for anyone,” Kyungsoo told him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. Loving Jongin after all these years was, quite possibly, one of the hardest things he’s gone through in his life, knowing that such a love can never be reciprocated anymore.
“I hired a date,” Baekhyun muttered.
“What?” Kyungsoo asked, leaning towards him.
“I hired a date,” Baekhyun repeated in a louder voice. “For our high school reunion.” When Kyungsoo didn’t respond, he buried his face in his hands. “I know! I’m despicable!”
“Wait, stop,” Kyungsoo practically shook Baekhyun before he got too hysterical. “How did you even-oh no. This is Jongdae’s doing, isn’t it?” Baekhyun nodded miserably. “Well, is he good-looking, the guy that you chose?” he decided to steer the subject somewhere more pleasant. Jongdae was going to hear it from him when he got a hold of him.
Baekhyun peeked at him through his fingers. There was a hint of smile on his face and Kyungsoo knew it was going to be okay.
Everything was going to be okay.
-
Kyungsoo was never the stealthy type. He may be called tiny, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t do things in an obvious manner. Such was the case when he’d decided it was best he didn’t see Junmyeon for a while. He needed to sort things out with himself. He was at that point of his life, where he figured he should decide whether he was going to miss Jongin forever or whether it was time to let him go. He never realized it before, but after Luhan’s words, he knew that Jongin and the hope of Jongin was the one holding him back in having other relationships.
“You’re being very childish, I hope you know that,” Jongdae commented, leaning against the counter as he waited for his order.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion,” Kyungsoo replied as he finished preparing his coffee.
“Yes, well, we’re friends,” Jongdae grinned as Kyungsoo handed him his drink. “It’s kind of a given that you’ll get unsolicited advice. So yeah. You’re being very childish.”
“Don’t you have to be somewhere?” Kyungsoo snapped. “You have an awful lot of time for someone supposedly so famous.”
“Could you, like, keep it down?” Jongdae glanced around in case someone was listening in on them. He leaned even closer to Kyungsoo. “Just so you know, I take special days off for when my friends need me the most.” He gave a pointed look at him and Kyungsoo had to sigh in affection. “Junmyeon will understand,” he assured him gently. “You guys haven’t made any promises to each other and I think he’ll give you the space that you need for Jongin.”
Kyungsoo traced the ball pen marks on the dark brown counter. “What if… what if I don’t want that space anymore?” he slowly stated. “What if, maybe, I want to try things out with Junmyeon?”
It was something that had honestly been niggling at his mind ever since Luhan had his outburst. Junmyeon was really nice and very sweet and there were times when his heart fluttered because of him. Surely, that was a good sign. Plus, he did find him attractive. The smiles that he sent his way were definitely something that he looked forward to just because it made him feel special. What if he made those things a constant in his life? What if he made Junmyeon that person? Jongin may have been his dream for a long time, but dreams change, don’t they?
“Kyungsoo, look at me,” Jongdae said. He put a hand on top of his when he finally did. “You cannot be unfair to Junmyeon.”
“But I’m not being unfair to him,” Kyungsoo defended himself.
“You weren’t,” Jongdae corrected him. “But now you are and you will be. Because you know whom you’re in love with. And with that knowledge, you can’t do things like try things out with someone just so you can forget.”
Kyungsoo let out a breath, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Of course Jongdae was right. He knew that, too. It was going to be very unfair for him to use Junmyeon to forget Jongin, especially since Jongin’s been his dream for so long.
Jongdae moved to the back of the counter, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t invited to, and pulled Kyungsoo to the back as Minseok took over.
“I can’t wait for him forever,” Kyungsoo whispered.
-
Kyungsoo stared at himself in the mirror and took in his reflection. He had on his best jeans and a dark collared shirt. But all he could see in his eyes was guilt. He had finally answered Junmyeon’s calls and he intended to tell him that they should talk. But before he could, Junmyeon had already asked him out to attend the special gala presentation of the dance studio students. It had been something that they’d been preparing for a while now and Junmyeon said that he’d really like it if he went with him. There wasn’t anything he could do but to say yes.
The knock on his door startled him out of his reverie. He took a deep breath and walked towards it to open it. Luhan stood in the doorway.
“Hey,” Luhan quietly greeted him. They never really quite made up properly after that day in the coffee shop. “Junmyeon just arrived.” Kyungsoo nodded. Luhan stopped him before he could go to him. “I think… you haven’t ruined your chances with him,” he said, looking him in the eyes. “I mean, he did ask you out again.”
“Maybe,” Kyungsoo replied. He knew that this was the closest to an apology that he would get from Luhan. He let out a breath and chuckled awkwardly. “I honestly don’t know what to do, Luhan. I like him, but I don’t know if I can love him and I’m not sure I know how to tell him that.”
Luhan wrapped his arms around him tightly. “You don’t have to do anything tonight,” he told him. “Take it one step at a time.” Pulling away, he buttoned up his collared shirt. “You dream of looking for that lost love. Maybe you can find that love in someone else.”
“Dreams change,” Kyungsoo nodded, smiling. Luhan beamed at him. “Why aren’t you coming?” he then asked confused and curious. “Sehun’s going to be there.” Luhan merely smiled and shook his head at him. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes in return. “Are you dumping him already?”
“Just so you know, I’m going to Exo Hotel tonight,” Luhan shared, rolling his eyes at him.
“Exo Hotel… oh! You’re going to see Kris?” Kyungsoo blurted out in excitement. “Luhan, that’s great! I-.”
“This isn’t really the time, Kyungsoo,” Luhan interrupted him with a push towards the door. “Enjoy your date,” he added when Kyungsoo stumbled towards the living room.
Kyungsoo found Junmyeon seated on the sofa. He immediately stood up, a bright smile on his face, once he saw him walk in. Of course Junmyeon looked good. He was wearing dark jeans and a casual checkered polo shirt. His shiny hair glinted under the white lights.
Kyungsoo couldn’t help but think how anyone could think of hurting such a beautiful person.
-
They were right outside the auditorium when Kyungsoo pulled Junmyeon’s hand so that they could stop. He felt bothered the whole time they were en route to the location of the performance. He couldn’t help it anymore. He needed to speak up and tell him.
“What is it?” Junmyeon asked, looking a bit concerned.
“I just want to talk for a bit,” Kyungsoo admitted. Junmyeon looked at him like he was studying him and his resolve began to waver. “I think that I…” He let out a breath. “Remember when I talked about that guy, my high school boyfriend and-.”
“Is there something wrong?” Junmyeon wanted to know. “Did you find him?”
Kyungsoo shook his head. “No,” he bit his lip. “But… but I might still want to.”
“Might?” Junmyeon echoed.
“I do,” Kyungsoo corrected himself. “I still do want to look for him. I haven’t-.”
Junmyeon squeezed his hand, a small smile on his face. “Can we talk about this after the show? I promise everything will be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered to him as they walked inside.
Junmyeon lifted his hand to his lips and kissed it. “You shouldn’t be.”
-
All the dancing was making Kyungsoo feel somewhat suffocated. They were all good, all talented; Sehun was amazing with his commanding stage presence. But all the dancing just reminded him of Jongin and how he was pretty sure that was a boat that he’d already missed and shouldn’t have been waiting to come back.
As the performance with Sehun in it ended, Kyungsoo turned to Junmyeon. “I’m going to go out for a bit,” he whispered.
“Everything okay?” Junmyeon asked him. “This is the last performance.”
“I just need a minute,” Kyungsoo promised, squeezing his hand.
He got up from his seat and walked down the aisle towards one of the exits. He was almost to the door, his hand touching it, pushing it open, when the beats and melody of the next song started to play. He knew that song, knew it by heart. He listened to it practically everyday since that time he’d heard it in high school. He halted his steps and turned to face the stage.
There was a boy in the middle of the stage, dancing by himself, dancing in a way that was unfamiliar yet familiar to him at the same time. So he stood there and watched, hoping to see his eyes, which were shrouded with his long dark bangs, swaying each time he moved. Because then he would maybe know, he would know whether the dream had become just a delusion.
Jongin was one of the most amazing dancers he’d ever had the privilege of watching. It wasn’t just that he was good, wasn’t just that he had the skill. Dancing was who he was. He became the best version of himself when he danced. All the passion, the love, the hurt that he had in his life, he brought it all out and incorporated it in his dancing. It was beautiful and just so striking that Kyungsoo knew he would know if it was he who was dancing anywhere.
But he didn’t dare hope. Because he knew his heart would shatter if he were wrong.
When the song finally ended and the dancing stopped, the dancer looked up and looked straight at him.
-
“Did you enjoy the show?” Junmyeon asked when he finally made his way to him beside the exit.
“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo hesitated. “Who was the last guy who danced? Is he one of the students in your studio?”
“Oh you mean Kai,” Junmyeon said. “Nah, he’s a friend of mine. He studied abroad and just came back into the country the other day. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing,” Kyungsoo murmured. His felt his heart sinking into the depths of a nightmare. He shouldn’t have allowed himself to hope.
“So…” Junmyeon began, not seeming to have noticed anything out of the ordinary with Kyungsoo. “You mentioned earlier that you wanted to talk. What about?”
Kyungsoo merely shook his head. “Oh that’s nothing,” he lied, putting on his best smile. “I’m just happy you brought me here.” He put his hand into Junmyeon’s and squeezed it lightly.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Junmyeon pressed, brows at bit furrowed.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo promised. He really wasn’t, but he had to be. And he was going to be.
“Come with me backstage,” Junmyeon said. “I’ll introduce you to some of the dancers.”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he wanted to bump into that dancer who made his heart soar just like Jongin did when he danced. He wasn’t sure he wanted to relive hoping and being let down again so soon after it just happened. But he didn’t really have a choice.
“Sehun,” Junmyeon waved him over.
“Hyungs, what did you think?” Sehun asked, his smile making his eyes into half moons.
“You were really good,” Kyungsoo complimented him and Junmyeon nodded proudly. “You should get Junmyeon to pay you to dance for him from now on.” He chuckled when Junmyeon seriously shook his head at Sehun.
“Can you call Kai for me? I want Kyungsoo to meet him,” Junmyeon asked from Sehun.
Kyungsoo took a deep breath and stared at his shoes as Sehun turned to leave.
“Kai!” Sehun yelled from across the backstage, snickering.
For some reason, Kyungsoo froze. He kept his eyes on the floor, not moving even when Junmyeon had let go of his hand. Why were these things happening one after the other just when he’d about decided to stop going after his childish dreams? Jongin was someone he knew from his past, someone his younger self had fallen in love with. He was trying to come to terms with the fact that maybe Jongin was just someone who was to remain there, in the past. He felt like he was being pulled apart into indecision.
A pair of black sneakers came into his view of the floor.
His heart beat in staccato as a short silence ensued.
“Hi Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo shivered, keeping his head bowed, as the memorable deep tones of a voice sounded and he had to close his eyes to keep the tears at bay. Hands reached for his, the touch familiar, his fingertips buzzing with anticipation. His breathing hitched as thumbs made habitual circular movements on his hands and he felt like he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He choked back a sob.
A warm pair of arms wrapped around him and he clung onto him as if for dear life, as if everything was going to disappear and he was going to wake up. Favorite scents that he didn’t think he’d ever get to smell anymore invaded his senses and breathed them in.
“Kyungsoo.” His breath ruffled his ear. “Please look at me. I want you to see me.”
He pulled away and opened his eyes to look, to see.
It was Jongin.
He looked changed, more manly, more grown up; different, but, at the same time, not really. Still Jongin.
He stood there, in front of him, still in his dancing clothes, like he wasn’t sure how to mask the emotion that was on his face, an emotion that probably was exactly like the one on his face.
Kyungsoo bit his lip as he gingerly took a step forward, his hand reaching out to touching Jongin’s face. He burst into tears as the warmth of Jongin, his Jongin, reached his fingertips. He blinked rapidly because he couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that he was actually here, standing in front of him, touching him.
Jongin grabbed his wrist and tugged him closer, wrapping him with his arms once again. Kyungsoo wrapped his own arms around him this time, tight and hot.
All those years of waiting and hoping and daily heartbreaks were suddenly forgotten and thrown away from the deep recesses of his heart. All that was left was the original feeling that he had always associated with Jongin: happiness and love.
“Jongin,” he managed to speak, his voice broken. “Jongin.”
And he couldn’t say anything more. Because what else was there to say? Jongin was home.
-
Luhan stopped walking as soon as he entered the coffee shop, causing Baekhyun to bump into him and Jongdae to bump into Baekhyun.
“Hey!” both Jongdae and Baekhyun complained.
“What’s the big deal?” Baekhyun demanded.
But Luhan had already sat down beside Junmyeon. “Who’s Kyungsoo sucking face with?”
Junmyeon smiled without even looking up from the book that he was reading. “Jongin came back from the U.S. for him,” he shared.
“Jongin?!” Baekhyun and Jongdae both reacted like girls before Luhan could say anything.
Kyungsoo detached himself from where he was kissing Jongin by the counter, smiling gratefully at a traumatized Minseok, before walking over to where his three nosy friends were with mouths hanging open.
“Well well well,” Luhan closed his mouth, clearly impressed, as he sat back on his seat with his arms crossed on his chest. Kyungsoo beamed. “Who would have thought?”
“Welcome back,” Jongdae greeted him with a warm smile and a knowing look at Kyungsoo.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” Baekhyun blinked. He looked so shocked, but Kyungsoo thought there was a certain twinkle of hope in his eyes. There were happy endings and dreams did come true.
Luhan stood up and bowed at Jongin, who looked stunned. “I would like to apologize for telling Kyungsoo to give up on you,” he admitted sheepishly. He smiled at Kyungsoo, who was surprised. “It’s nice to be proven wrong like this.” He patted Kyungsoo’s arm and said his goodbyes to them before whipping out his phone and stepping out of the shop.
“Well,” Baekhyun announced his leave as well. “I think I have to go and… think.” He stood there for a second as if to explain what he meant, but decided against it and just left.
“Is he okay?” Junmyeon wanted to know.
“He’s fine,” Jongdae assured them with a big grin. “He’s just going to go and think about Chanyeol some more or something. Well I’ll be off as well. I’m glad you’re back, Jongin.” He grinned once more and left as well.
“Who’s Chanyeol?” Jongin wanted to know.
“He’s this guy whom Baekhyun hired to be his date for our reunion, which you didn’t attend, by the way,” Kyungsoo frowned, remembering the detail.
Jongin merely smiled at him and pulled him into a kiss. “I’ll explain some more later,” he promised. “I’ll just go to the bathroom.”
Kyungsoo smiled as he trailed after Jongin with his eyes.
Right after their reunion backstage, he and Jongin talked about what he’d been doing, how he’d lost his phone and practically had no time for the Internet when he was there as he had been asked to join a tour. He told him where he studied, how the tour went, and how he missed him everyday.
“You know, he talked about you all the time,” Junmyeon interrupted his thoughts. Kyungsoo sat down on the empty seat across from him. “We took classes together in the U.S. When he found out that we were from the same country, he kept going on and on about you. It’s like he was willing me to know who you were just so I could tell him about you.” He paused when unshed tears filled Kyungsoo’s eyes. “He’s always wanted to come back to you, Kyungsoo.”
“I’m sorry about all of this,” Kyungsoo said, earning a surprised smile from Junmyeon. “I mean, I know we weren’t really… but I… I just think that…”
Junmyeon laughed. “I liked you, Kyungsoo. I still do,” he told him. “But you don’t have to apologize to me for still being in love with someone else. Besides, the moment you mentioned Jongin’s name, everything suddenly clicked. You’re the Kyungsoo he’s always been wanting to find.”
Kyungsoo puffed out his cheeks as he breathed out. “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe Jongin’s here.”
All of the years he’d spent practically yearning for him weren’t for naught. All those sleepless nights, all the times he cried by himself because his heart hurt because there’s always been a loss that he’d felt when Jongin had gone. He was amazed that he’d actually managed to go all through those years without caving in to a small part of him to actually give up and let go. Because how was he supposed to know that Jongin would ever come back? He didn’t and that in itself was a go signal for him to find someone else, to love someone else. But, he supposed, some things were just meant to be, as cheesy and as cliché as it sounded.
“Well, believe it,” Junmyeon said, smiling as Jongin returned to take a seat beside Kyungsoo. Jongin took Kyungsoo’s hand in his. “Prince Charming is home.”
-
“You could have, I don’t know, contacted anyone from here to ask about me or something,” Kyungsoo said, not for the first time since he and Jongin had reunited.
They were walking hand-in-hand towards Kyungsoo’s apartment, where he promised he would cook for him. Jongin kept on saying that one of the things he missed most was homemade food with Kyungsoo’s touch.
“I’m stupid, okay? I didn’t try hard enough,” was Jongin’s same reply. “I didn’t even get to speak to my parents that much and I didn’t think that Baekhyun or Luhan or Jongdae even remembered me. I was pretty inadequate in high school.”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “You were a soccer player and you were my boyfriend. Of course they’d remember you. They couldn’t forget you even if they tried because I talked about you all the time even when you were gone-.” He cut himself off and blushed
Jongin stopped walking and turned to face him. “Hey,” he lifted his face up towards him with a finger under his chin. “It was always a part of my plan, to come home and come back to you. There were no guarantees that you would take me back of course. You could be married or with someone else for all I knew. But the point was, I would come back a better person than I was back then.”
“You were great even then,” Kyungsoo defended his boyfriend’s high school self.
Jongin chuckled, a surge of affection going through him. “We were in high school,” he reminded him. “But, even then, I knew that there was so much more I want to go through with you and the only way I could do that was to work hard on myself and become the best person for you. I didn’t just want to love you, Kyungsoo. I wanted to be able to support you, to support us, and be able to make you fully happy. I-.”
“Stop talking,” Kyungsoo whispered, leaning up against him, his lips almost on his.
“But I-,” Jongin began again.
Kyungsoo shook his head. “Just tell me you love me,” he insisted. “Just love me. That’s all I’ll ever ask from you.”
“Of course,” Jongin stated, notes of promise in his words as he held onto him, pressing even closer for a kiss. “You can ask anything from me now. I love you.”
-
“What are you doing all the way here?” Luhan asked Jongdae in a singsong voice.
Jongdae jumped then, in realizing that it was only Luhan, glowered at him. He glanced around at the people milling around the Angel Ballroom of the Exo Hotel. It was the hotel’s anniversary and Kris was nice enough to invite them. He relaxed as he took a sip of his rum coke. “I’m hiding from Baekhyun,” he admitted unabashedly.
Luhan laughed melodiously, which he did when things normally go his way. “Don’t worry about Baekhyun,” he said dismissively. “I’ve already apologized to him.”
“I bet you only apologized for yourself,” Jongdae stated knowingly.
“Well,” Luhan waved slickly. “That’s pretty much understood.” He took a seat on the barstool beside Jongdae. “So… are you going to pay up or what?” He reached his hand out to him, palms upturned.
Jongdae snickered. “You’re kidding, right? I remember your bet being Baekhyun falling in love with Chanyeol and Baekhyun never finding out that Chanyeol wasn’t actually an escort,” he reminded him.
“He didn’t find out,” Luhan said with a serene smile. “Chanyeol told him. There’s a difference.” He snapped his fingers. “Pay up.”
“You’re unfair, you know that,” Jongdae grumbled as he took out his wallet and took a couple of bills to place in Luhan’s hand.
“What’s going on here?” Kyungsoo demanded, eyeing the money in Luhan’s hand and Jongdae’s obviously guilty smile.
“Jongdae owed me money so he’s paying me,” Luhan smoothly said, pocketing the bills.
Kyungsoo stood there, Jongin by his side, and stared Luhan and Jongdae down. Jongdae cowered almost immediately, still sensitive from Baekhyun’s wrath. Sometimes he wondered how he could have such scary friends. They all really took after Luhan, who giggled behind his mouth.
“I think I hear my date calling for me,” Luhan hopped off the stool. “See you guys later.”
“Luhan,” Kyungsoo called.
“Toodles,” Luhan waved and was off.
Kyungsoo shot Jongdae a look. “Since when do you owe people, Luhan of all people, money?”
Jongdae deflated. “We bet on Baekhyun and Chanyeol, okay? We set the whole thing up and pretended that Chanyeol was actually an escort when he isn’t. We just wanted him to be happy and Chanyeol is perfect for him. I mean, look at them.” He gestured to the middle of the room, where Baekhyun and Chanyeol were looking at each other with stars in their eyes. “They’re disgusting,” he spat.
“If that’s being disgusting, I wouldn’t mind it at all,” Jongin commented with a fondness in his tone.
Jongdae made retching noises and slipped away before Kyungsoo could reply with something as equally saccharine.
Kyungsoo bit back the smile that threatened to form at his lips at this as he watched Baekhyun and Chanyeol across the room. They looked in love. For something that was done by chance, Baekhyun finally had his happy ending. Giving in to his smile, Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin, who seemed to have been watching him. Jongin lifted his hand up to scratch the back of his neck shyly, his other hand scratched the front of his neck.
Kyungsoo frowned and took his other hand in his when he realized they weren’t holding hands.
“What?” Jongin asked, confused.
“You should always hold my hand,” Kyungsoo said, not caring how that sounded so bossy and possessive and whiny.
Jongin shot him a wry smile. “You’ve been acting like this ever since the show, like you think I’m going to disappear any moment,” he said. “Why?”
“Because,” Kyungsoo let out, breathing deeply. “Because if this is a dream, if you’re just a dream,” he looked up at him, “then I’d rather I made the most out of it before waking up.”
Jongin looked at him, an arm around his waist. “Do you feel this?” he asked, trailing his fingers down Kyungsoo’s left cheek. Kyungsoo shivered and nodded. “What about this?” he asked, his hand moving to the back of his head to entangle his fingers with his hair. Kyungsoo gulped and nodded again. “This?” he whispered, his thumb lightly caressing his lower lip.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo whispered back.
“I’m not a dream, Kyungsoo,” Jongin spoke.
“But you were-,” Kyungsoo tried to interrupt.
“Not anymore,” Jongin shook his head. “I’m here and I’m real.” He moved his head down and kissed him. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Kyungsoo gave in, sighing into the kiss and wrapping his arms around his neck. Suddenly, he pulled back, making Jongin blink in confusion. “But you can never disappear anymore like before. I’ve been unselfish once. I don’t think I can do it again. You have to promise that we’ll be disgusting like Baekhyun and Chanyeol are. Even more so, if we can help it. If not, I don’t know, I’ll just tie you to my bed with chains or something.”
Jongin looked surprised for a second then laughed. “That sounds very inviting. I didn’t know you were kinky,” he winked at him when Kyungsoo turned red.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kyungsoo murmured, thinking that the carpet looked very interesting.
“I promise we’ll be disgusting like Baekhyun and Chanyeol are,” Jongin declared, hand over his heart.
“Really?” Kyungsoo looked up hopefully.
“Want to bet on it?” Jongin wiggled his eyebrows.
“Oh my god, my friends have corrupted you,” Kyungsoo groaned like it was the end of the world.
Jongin laughed and tugged Kyungsoo closer, wrapping him in a tight hug.
“And is he your dream?” Junmyeon had asked him back then.
As he looked up at Jongin and felt every part of him being enclosed by this wonderful fantasy, he couldn’t help but think, No, he’s my reality.
END.
Author's Notes:
1. This was originally a stand-alone KaiSoo fic, but it evolved into something connected to Someday Dream. It can still be read by itself, though, I think. :)
2. KaiSoo is such a cute pairing really. But they've been tagged into this angst couple and I wanted something happy. Let's all have happy!KaiSoo.
3. This happens a little bit ahead of Someday Dream, then it overlaps.
4. Comments/Suggestions/Violent reactions are welcome. ^^
Author: airplanewishes
Fandom: EXO
Characters: D.O./Kai, D.O./Suho
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Fluff
Rating: PG
WC: 10,219
Summary: No matter how many times his friends pushed him, Kyungsoo still wouldn't go out and date.
A/N: This may be read as a side-story to Someday Dream.
Beta'd by the awesome khrysallis1106. She's the best seriously. I don't know anyone else who can put up with the amount of typographical errors that I have.
Part 1
Hello, Dream Part 2
“You did what?!” Luhan practically screeched. He stood up so quickly that the chair he had been occupying toppled over, disturbing the customers in the café.
Kyungsoo glared at him. “Can you keep it down?” he hissed.
“I will not keep it down,” Luhan stated heatedly, his voice carrying over all the other tables. “You may have just lost your chance with Junmyeon because of your stupidity!”
Baekhyun pulled Luhan back to his seat and stomped on his foot, making him whimper in pain. Jongdae shot him a sympathetic look. Baekhyun was wearing his shoes with the especially hard soles that day.
“Thank you,” Kyungsoo told Baekhyun.
“Don’t thank me,” Baekhyun retorted, an eyebrow raised. “I’m as mad as he is. I’m just better at containing it.”
“Oh,” Kyungsoo frowned.
He wished he hadn’t told them anything about what he and Junmyeon talked about that night in the dance studio. It just had been one of those conversations that steered towards an old love. It had been so long since he’d talked about Jongin aloud that he got carried away. Now they were all upset with him. He bit his lip.
“Look, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae began to speak in a much calmer tone that the other two. “All we’re saying is maybe, maybe it was premature. I mean, you and Junmyeon had just known each other and suddenly you were talking about Jongin like you’re still in love with him and that’s-.” He stopped talking and gave Kyungsoo a curious look. “Are you still in love with Jongin?”
“I…” Kyungsoo hesitated.
“Oh my god,” Luhan facepalmed himself and Baekhyun’s face twitched. “That’s an eternity ago, Kyungsoo. Don’t you think it’s about time that you let that go? That you let him go? You’re an adult and you can’t be forever hung over some person who’s probably forgotten about you already.”
Kyungsoo stilled at Luhan’s words. Despite the fact that he was probably right, it didn’t make it hurt any less. He glanced at the counter to make sure that Minseok was handling things just fine before standing up.
“I’ll just… go for a walk,” Kyungsoo told them quietly before making his way out of the café.
“Congratulations, Luhan,” Jongdae dryly stated, leaning back on his seat. “I think you were too harsh.”
“I was being realistic,” Luhan defended himself.
“Maybe you were being realistic to yourself,” Baekhyun retorted. “Not everyone is like you, Luhan. Some people move on far slower than you do with all the people you date.” He then stood up, leaving an amused Jongdae and a stunned Luhan.
-
Kyungsoo found himself in front of Junmyeon’s dance studio. He wasn’t sure how he came to be there, just that he was there. So just what was he intending to do? He sighed and leaned his back against the wall beside the entrance. Luhan was right. He may have ruined his chances with Junmyeon, if he even ever hoped for one.
Maybe he should tell Junmyeon the truth. He should apologize for everything, for maybe leading him on, for maybe trying not that hard to make things possibly work between the two of them.
He pushed himself off the wall and moved to enter the dance studio. His hand was pushing the door open when he saw and heard Baekhyun calling for him.
“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun demanded, panting.
“I was just going to talk to Junmyeon, to tell him the truth, that I can’t pursue whatever this is that’s going on between us,” Kyungsoo explained. It was just fair, he thought.
But Baekhyun shook his head. “That’s a bad idea,” he promised him. “Especially since you’re highly emotional at the moment. Come,” he decided, taking Kyungsoo’s hand, “let’s take a walk.”
Kyungsoo followed Baekhyun’s lead. They walked and walked and walked without saying a word to each other. After a while, they finally stopped at the park, where they sat down on a wooden bench.
“You know Luhan’s just looking out for you, right? Like, that’s just his way of doing things,” Baekhyun broke the silence, glancing at him.
Kyungsoo chuckled. “I get why he said what he said,” he sighed. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should move on. It has been years, after all.”
“More like a decade,” Baekhyun murmured. “I didn’t even think you were still holding a torch for him. You haven’t even seen him since then.”
“I know,” Kyungsoo responded, almost defeated. “Just… I’ve tried seeing other people and I just can’t. There’s still part of me that’s hoping that maybe there’s still a chance. I just want to know how he’s doing. If he’s moved on, then maybe that’s just what I need.”
“You know the chances that he’s moved on are very big, don’t you?” Baekhyun asked, fully looking at him. “Why would you set yourself up for disappointment this big?”
Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’m not,” he told him, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. “I just still love him that’s all.”
Baekhyun’s eyes softened and it seemed like he had to bite back a laugh that was bubbling up his throat. “I wish I was like you, Kyungsoo,” he very quietly admitted.
“I don’t wish this for anyone,” Kyungsoo told him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. Loving Jongin after all these years was, quite possibly, one of the hardest things he’s gone through in his life, knowing that such a love can never be reciprocated anymore.
“I hired a date,” Baekhyun muttered.
“What?” Kyungsoo asked, leaning towards him.
“I hired a date,” Baekhyun repeated in a louder voice. “For our high school reunion.” When Kyungsoo didn’t respond, he buried his face in his hands. “I know! I’m despicable!”
“Wait, stop,” Kyungsoo practically shook Baekhyun before he got too hysterical. “How did you even-oh no. This is Jongdae’s doing, isn’t it?” Baekhyun nodded miserably. “Well, is he good-looking, the guy that you chose?” he decided to steer the subject somewhere more pleasant. Jongdae was going to hear it from him when he got a hold of him.
Baekhyun peeked at him through his fingers. There was a hint of smile on his face and Kyungsoo knew it was going to be okay.
Everything was going to be okay.
-
Kyungsoo was never the stealthy type. He may be called tiny, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t do things in an obvious manner. Such was the case when he’d decided it was best he didn’t see Junmyeon for a while. He needed to sort things out with himself. He was at that point of his life, where he figured he should decide whether he was going to miss Jongin forever or whether it was time to let him go. He never realized it before, but after Luhan’s words, he knew that Jongin and the hope of Jongin was the one holding him back in having other relationships.
“You’re being very childish, I hope you know that,” Jongdae commented, leaning against the counter as he waited for his order.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion,” Kyungsoo replied as he finished preparing his coffee.
“Yes, well, we’re friends,” Jongdae grinned as Kyungsoo handed him his drink. “It’s kind of a given that you’ll get unsolicited advice. So yeah. You’re being very childish.”
“Don’t you have to be somewhere?” Kyungsoo snapped. “You have an awful lot of time for someone supposedly so famous.”
“Could you, like, keep it down?” Jongdae glanced around in case someone was listening in on them. He leaned even closer to Kyungsoo. “Just so you know, I take special days off for when my friends need me the most.” He gave a pointed look at him and Kyungsoo had to sigh in affection. “Junmyeon will understand,” he assured him gently. “You guys haven’t made any promises to each other and I think he’ll give you the space that you need for Jongin.”
Kyungsoo traced the ball pen marks on the dark brown counter. “What if… what if I don’t want that space anymore?” he slowly stated. “What if, maybe, I want to try things out with Junmyeon?”
It was something that had honestly been niggling at his mind ever since Luhan had his outburst. Junmyeon was really nice and very sweet and there were times when his heart fluttered because of him. Surely, that was a good sign. Plus, he did find him attractive. The smiles that he sent his way were definitely something that he looked forward to just because it made him feel special. What if he made those things a constant in his life? What if he made Junmyeon that person? Jongin may have been his dream for a long time, but dreams change, don’t they?
“Kyungsoo, look at me,” Jongdae said. He put a hand on top of his when he finally did. “You cannot be unfair to Junmyeon.”
“But I’m not being unfair to him,” Kyungsoo defended himself.
“You weren’t,” Jongdae corrected him. “But now you are and you will be. Because you know whom you’re in love with. And with that knowledge, you can’t do things like try things out with someone just so you can forget.”
Kyungsoo let out a breath, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Of course Jongdae was right. He knew that, too. It was going to be very unfair for him to use Junmyeon to forget Jongin, especially since Jongin’s been his dream for so long.
Jongdae moved to the back of the counter, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t invited to, and pulled Kyungsoo to the back as Minseok took over.
“I can’t wait for him forever,” Kyungsoo whispered.
-
Kyungsoo stared at himself in the mirror and took in his reflection. He had on his best jeans and a dark collared shirt. But all he could see in his eyes was guilt. He had finally answered Junmyeon’s calls and he intended to tell him that they should talk. But before he could, Junmyeon had already asked him out to attend the special gala presentation of the dance studio students. It had been something that they’d been preparing for a while now and Junmyeon said that he’d really like it if he went with him. There wasn’t anything he could do but to say yes.
The knock on his door startled him out of his reverie. He took a deep breath and walked towards it to open it. Luhan stood in the doorway.
“Hey,” Luhan quietly greeted him. They never really quite made up properly after that day in the coffee shop. “Junmyeon just arrived.” Kyungsoo nodded. Luhan stopped him before he could go to him. “I think… you haven’t ruined your chances with him,” he said, looking him in the eyes. “I mean, he did ask you out again.”
“Maybe,” Kyungsoo replied. He knew that this was the closest to an apology that he would get from Luhan. He let out a breath and chuckled awkwardly. “I honestly don’t know what to do, Luhan. I like him, but I don’t know if I can love him and I’m not sure I know how to tell him that.”
Luhan wrapped his arms around him tightly. “You don’t have to do anything tonight,” he told him. “Take it one step at a time.” Pulling away, he buttoned up his collared shirt. “You dream of looking for that lost love. Maybe you can find that love in someone else.”
“Dreams change,” Kyungsoo nodded, smiling. Luhan beamed at him. “Why aren’t you coming?” he then asked confused and curious. “Sehun’s going to be there.” Luhan merely smiled and shook his head at him. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes in return. “Are you dumping him already?”
“Just so you know, I’m going to Exo Hotel tonight,” Luhan shared, rolling his eyes at him.
“Exo Hotel… oh! You’re going to see Kris?” Kyungsoo blurted out in excitement. “Luhan, that’s great! I-.”
“This isn’t really the time, Kyungsoo,” Luhan interrupted him with a push towards the door. “Enjoy your date,” he added when Kyungsoo stumbled towards the living room.
Kyungsoo found Junmyeon seated on the sofa. He immediately stood up, a bright smile on his face, once he saw him walk in. Of course Junmyeon looked good. He was wearing dark jeans and a casual checkered polo shirt. His shiny hair glinted under the white lights.
Kyungsoo couldn’t help but think how anyone could think of hurting such a beautiful person.
-
They were right outside the auditorium when Kyungsoo pulled Junmyeon’s hand so that they could stop. He felt bothered the whole time they were en route to the location of the performance. He couldn’t help it anymore. He needed to speak up and tell him.
“What is it?” Junmyeon asked, looking a bit concerned.
“I just want to talk for a bit,” Kyungsoo admitted. Junmyeon looked at him like he was studying him and his resolve began to waver. “I think that I…” He let out a breath. “Remember when I talked about that guy, my high school boyfriend and-.”
“Is there something wrong?” Junmyeon wanted to know. “Did you find him?”
Kyungsoo shook his head. “No,” he bit his lip. “But… but I might still want to.”
“Might?” Junmyeon echoed.
“I do,” Kyungsoo corrected himself. “I still do want to look for him. I haven’t-.”
Junmyeon squeezed his hand, a small smile on his face. “Can we talk about this after the show? I promise everything will be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered to him as they walked inside.
Junmyeon lifted his hand to his lips and kissed it. “You shouldn’t be.”
-
All the dancing was making Kyungsoo feel somewhat suffocated. They were all good, all talented; Sehun was amazing with his commanding stage presence. But all the dancing just reminded him of Jongin and how he was pretty sure that was a boat that he’d already missed and shouldn’t have been waiting to come back.
As the performance with Sehun in it ended, Kyungsoo turned to Junmyeon. “I’m going to go out for a bit,” he whispered.
“Everything okay?” Junmyeon asked him. “This is the last performance.”
“I just need a minute,” Kyungsoo promised, squeezing his hand.
He got up from his seat and walked down the aisle towards one of the exits. He was almost to the door, his hand touching it, pushing it open, when the beats and melody of the next song started to play. He knew that song, knew it by heart. He listened to it practically everyday since that time he’d heard it in high school. He halted his steps and turned to face the stage.
There was a boy in the middle of the stage, dancing by himself, dancing in a way that was unfamiliar yet familiar to him at the same time. So he stood there and watched, hoping to see his eyes, which were shrouded with his long dark bangs, swaying each time he moved. Because then he would maybe know, he would know whether the dream had become just a delusion.
Jongin was one of the most amazing dancers he’d ever had the privilege of watching. It wasn’t just that he was good, wasn’t just that he had the skill. Dancing was who he was. He became the best version of himself when he danced. All the passion, the love, the hurt that he had in his life, he brought it all out and incorporated it in his dancing. It was beautiful and just so striking that Kyungsoo knew he would know if it was he who was dancing anywhere.
But he didn’t dare hope. Because he knew his heart would shatter if he were wrong.
When the song finally ended and the dancing stopped, the dancer looked up and looked straight at him.
-
“Did you enjoy the show?” Junmyeon asked when he finally made his way to him beside the exit.
“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo hesitated. “Who was the last guy who danced? Is he one of the students in your studio?”
“Oh you mean Kai,” Junmyeon said. “Nah, he’s a friend of mine. He studied abroad and just came back into the country the other day. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing,” Kyungsoo murmured. His felt his heart sinking into the depths of a nightmare. He shouldn’t have allowed himself to hope.
“So…” Junmyeon began, not seeming to have noticed anything out of the ordinary with Kyungsoo. “You mentioned earlier that you wanted to talk. What about?”
Kyungsoo merely shook his head. “Oh that’s nothing,” he lied, putting on his best smile. “I’m just happy you brought me here.” He put his hand into Junmyeon’s and squeezed it lightly.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Junmyeon pressed, brows at bit furrowed.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo promised. He really wasn’t, but he had to be. And he was going to be.
“Come with me backstage,” Junmyeon said. “I’ll introduce you to some of the dancers.”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he wanted to bump into that dancer who made his heart soar just like Jongin did when he danced. He wasn’t sure he wanted to relive hoping and being let down again so soon after it just happened. But he didn’t really have a choice.
“Sehun,” Junmyeon waved him over.
“Hyungs, what did you think?” Sehun asked, his smile making his eyes into half moons.
“You were really good,” Kyungsoo complimented him and Junmyeon nodded proudly. “You should get Junmyeon to pay you to dance for him from now on.” He chuckled when Junmyeon seriously shook his head at Sehun.
“Can you call Kai for me? I want Kyungsoo to meet him,” Junmyeon asked from Sehun.
Kyungsoo took a deep breath and stared at his shoes as Sehun turned to leave.
“Kai!” Sehun yelled from across the backstage, snickering.
For some reason, Kyungsoo froze. He kept his eyes on the floor, not moving even when Junmyeon had let go of his hand. Why were these things happening one after the other just when he’d about decided to stop going after his childish dreams? Jongin was someone he knew from his past, someone his younger self had fallen in love with. He was trying to come to terms with the fact that maybe Jongin was just someone who was to remain there, in the past. He felt like he was being pulled apart into indecision.
A pair of black sneakers came into his view of the floor.
His heart beat in staccato as a short silence ensued.
“Hi Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo shivered, keeping his head bowed, as the memorable deep tones of a voice sounded and he had to close his eyes to keep the tears at bay. Hands reached for his, the touch familiar, his fingertips buzzing with anticipation. His breathing hitched as thumbs made habitual circular movements on his hands and he felt like he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He choked back a sob.
A warm pair of arms wrapped around him and he clung onto him as if for dear life, as if everything was going to disappear and he was going to wake up. Favorite scents that he didn’t think he’d ever get to smell anymore invaded his senses and breathed them in.
“Kyungsoo.” His breath ruffled his ear. “Please look at me. I want you to see me.”
He pulled away and opened his eyes to look, to see.
It was Jongin.
He looked changed, more manly, more grown up; different, but, at the same time, not really. Still Jongin.
He stood there, in front of him, still in his dancing clothes, like he wasn’t sure how to mask the emotion that was on his face, an emotion that probably was exactly like the one on his face.
Kyungsoo bit his lip as he gingerly took a step forward, his hand reaching out to touching Jongin’s face. He burst into tears as the warmth of Jongin, his Jongin, reached his fingertips. He blinked rapidly because he couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that he was actually here, standing in front of him, touching him.
Jongin grabbed his wrist and tugged him closer, wrapping him with his arms once again. Kyungsoo wrapped his own arms around him this time, tight and hot.
All those years of waiting and hoping and daily heartbreaks were suddenly forgotten and thrown away from the deep recesses of his heart. All that was left was the original feeling that he had always associated with Jongin: happiness and love.
“Jongin,” he managed to speak, his voice broken. “Jongin.”
And he couldn’t say anything more. Because what else was there to say? Jongin was home.
-
Luhan stopped walking as soon as he entered the coffee shop, causing Baekhyun to bump into him and Jongdae to bump into Baekhyun.
“Hey!” both Jongdae and Baekhyun complained.
“What’s the big deal?” Baekhyun demanded.
But Luhan had already sat down beside Junmyeon. “Who’s Kyungsoo sucking face with?”
Junmyeon smiled without even looking up from the book that he was reading. “Jongin came back from the U.S. for him,” he shared.
“Jongin?!” Baekhyun and Jongdae both reacted like girls before Luhan could say anything.
Kyungsoo detached himself from where he was kissing Jongin by the counter, smiling gratefully at a traumatized Minseok, before walking over to where his three nosy friends were with mouths hanging open.
“Well well well,” Luhan closed his mouth, clearly impressed, as he sat back on his seat with his arms crossed on his chest. Kyungsoo beamed. “Who would have thought?”
“Welcome back,” Jongdae greeted him with a warm smile and a knowing look at Kyungsoo.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” Baekhyun blinked. He looked so shocked, but Kyungsoo thought there was a certain twinkle of hope in his eyes. There were happy endings and dreams did come true.
Luhan stood up and bowed at Jongin, who looked stunned. “I would like to apologize for telling Kyungsoo to give up on you,” he admitted sheepishly. He smiled at Kyungsoo, who was surprised. “It’s nice to be proven wrong like this.” He patted Kyungsoo’s arm and said his goodbyes to them before whipping out his phone and stepping out of the shop.
“Well,” Baekhyun announced his leave as well. “I think I have to go and… think.” He stood there for a second as if to explain what he meant, but decided against it and just left.
“Is he okay?” Junmyeon wanted to know.
“He’s fine,” Jongdae assured them with a big grin. “He’s just going to go and think about Chanyeol some more or something. Well I’ll be off as well. I’m glad you’re back, Jongin.” He grinned once more and left as well.
“Who’s Chanyeol?” Jongin wanted to know.
“He’s this guy whom Baekhyun hired to be his date for our reunion, which you didn’t attend, by the way,” Kyungsoo frowned, remembering the detail.
Jongin merely smiled at him and pulled him into a kiss. “I’ll explain some more later,” he promised. “I’ll just go to the bathroom.”
Kyungsoo smiled as he trailed after Jongin with his eyes.
Right after their reunion backstage, he and Jongin talked about what he’d been doing, how he’d lost his phone and practically had no time for the Internet when he was there as he had been asked to join a tour. He told him where he studied, how the tour went, and how he missed him everyday.
“You know, he talked about you all the time,” Junmyeon interrupted his thoughts. Kyungsoo sat down on the empty seat across from him. “We took classes together in the U.S. When he found out that we were from the same country, he kept going on and on about you. It’s like he was willing me to know who you were just so I could tell him about you.” He paused when unshed tears filled Kyungsoo’s eyes. “He’s always wanted to come back to you, Kyungsoo.”
“I’m sorry about all of this,” Kyungsoo said, earning a surprised smile from Junmyeon. “I mean, I know we weren’t really… but I… I just think that…”
Junmyeon laughed. “I liked you, Kyungsoo. I still do,” he told him. “But you don’t have to apologize to me for still being in love with someone else. Besides, the moment you mentioned Jongin’s name, everything suddenly clicked. You’re the Kyungsoo he’s always been wanting to find.”
Kyungsoo puffed out his cheeks as he breathed out. “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe Jongin’s here.”
All of the years he’d spent practically yearning for him weren’t for naught. All those sleepless nights, all the times he cried by himself because his heart hurt because there’s always been a loss that he’d felt when Jongin had gone. He was amazed that he’d actually managed to go all through those years without caving in to a small part of him to actually give up and let go. Because how was he supposed to know that Jongin would ever come back? He didn’t and that in itself was a go signal for him to find someone else, to love someone else. But, he supposed, some things were just meant to be, as cheesy and as cliché as it sounded.
“Well, believe it,” Junmyeon said, smiling as Jongin returned to take a seat beside Kyungsoo. Jongin took Kyungsoo’s hand in his. “Prince Charming is home.”
-
“You could have, I don’t know, contacted anyone from here to ask about me or something,” Kyungsoo said, not for the first time since he and Jongin had reunited.
They were walking hand-in-hand towards Kyungsoo’s apartment, where he promised he would cook for him. Jongin kept on saying that one of the things he missed most was homemade food with Kyungsoo’s touch.
“I’m stupid, okay? I didn’t try hard enough,” was Jongin’s same reply. “I didn’t even get to speak to my parents that much and I didn’t think that Baekhyun or Luhan or Jongdae even remembered me. I was pretty inadequate in high school.”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “You were a soccer player and you were my boyfriend. Of course they’d remember you. They couldn’t forget you even if they tried because I talked about you all the time even when you were gone-.” He cut himself off and blushed
Jongin stopped walking and turned to face him. “Hey,” he lifted his face up towards him with a finger under his chin. “It was always a part of my plan, to come home and come back to you. There were no guarantees that you would take me back of course. You could be married or with someone else for all I knew. But the point was, I would come back a better person than I was back then.”
“You were great even then,” Kyungsoo defended his boyfriend’s high school self.
Jongin chuckled, a surge of affection going through him. “We were in high school,” he reminded him. “But, even then, I knew that there was so much more I want to go through with you and the only way I could do that was to work hard on myself and become the best person for you. I didn’t just want to love you, Kyungsoo. I wanted to be able to support you, to support us, and be able to make you fully happy. I-.”
“Stop talking,” Kyungsoo whispered, leaning up against him, his lips almost on his.
“But I-,” Jongin began again.
Kyungsoo shook his head. “Just tell me you love me,” he insisted. “Just love me. That’s all I’ll ever ask from you.”
“Of course,” Jongin stated, notes of promise in his words as he held onto him, pressing even closer for a kiss. “You can ask anything from me now. I love you.”
-
“What are you doing all the way here?” Luhan asked Jongdae in a singsong voice.
Jongdae jumped then, in realizing that it was only Luhan, glowered at him. He glanced around at the people milling around the Angel Ballroom of the Exo Hotel. It was the hotel’s anniversary and Kris was nice enough to invite them. He relaxed as he took a sip of his rum coke. “I’m hiding from Baekhyun,” he admitted unabashedly.
Luhan laughed melodiously, which he did when things normally go his way. “Don’t worry about Baekhyun,” he said dismissively. “I’ve already apologized to him.”
“I bet you only apologized for yourself,” Jongdae stated knowingly.
“Well,” Luhan waved slickly. “That’s pretty much understood.” He took a seat on the barstool beside Jongdae. “So… are you going to pay up or what?” He reached his hand out to him, palms upturned.
Jongdae snickered. “You’re kidding, right? I remember your bet being Baekhyun falling in love with Chanyeol and Baekhyun never finding out that Chanyeol wasn’t actually an escort,” he reminded him.
“He didn’t find out,” Luhan said with a serene smile. “Chanyeol told him. There’s a difference.” He snapped his fingers. “Pay up.”
“You’re unfair, you know that,” Jongdae grumbled as he took out his wallet and took a couple of bills to place in Luhan’s hand.
“What’s going on here?” Kyungsoo demanded, eyeing the money in Luhan’s hand and Jongdae’s obviously guilty smile.
“Jongdae owed me money so he’s paying me,” Luhan smoothly said, pocketing the bills.
Kyungsoo stood there, Jongin by his side, and stared Luhan and Jongdae down. Jongdae cowered almost immediately, still sensitive from Baekhyun’s wrath. Sometimes he wondered how he could have such scary friends. They all really took after Luhan, who giggled behind his mouth.
“I think I hear my date calling for me,” Luhan hopped off the stool. “See you guys later.”
“Luhan,” Kyungsoo called.
“Toodles,” Luhan waved and was off.
Kyungsoo shot Jongdae a look. “Since when do you owe people, Luhan of all people, money?”
Jongdae deflated. “We bet on Baekhyun and Chanyeol, okay? We set the whole thing up and pretended that Chanyeol was actually an escort when he isn’t. We just wanted him to be happy and Chanyeol is perfect for him. I mean, look at them.” He gestured to the middle of the room, where Baekhyun and Chanyeol were looking at each other with stars in their eyes. “They’re disgusting,” he spat.
“If that’s being disgusting, I wouldn’t mind it at all,” Jongin commented with a fondness in his tone.
Jongdae made retching noises and slipped away before Kyungsoo could reply with something as equally saccharine.
Kyungsoo bit back the smile that threatened to form at his lips at this as he watched Baekhyun and Chanyeol across the room. They looked in love. For something that was done by chance, Baekhyun finally had his happy ending. Giving in to his smile, Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin, who seemed to have been watching him. Jongin lifted his hand up to scratch the back of his neck shyly, his other hand scratched the front of his neck.
Kyungsoo frowned and took his other hand in his when he realized they weren’t holding hands.
“What?” Jongin asked, confused.
“You should always hold my hand,” Kyungsoo said, not caring how that sounded so bossy and possessive and whiny.
Jongin shot him a wry smile. “You’ve been acting like this ever since the show, like you think I’m going to disappear any moment,” he said. “Why?”
“Because,” Kyungsoo let out, breathing deeply. “Because if this is a dream, if you’re just a dream,” he looked up at him, “then I’d rather I made the most out of it before waking up.”
Jongin looked at him, an arm around his waist. “Do you feel this?” he asked, trailing his fingers down Kyungsoo’s left cheek. Kyungsoo shivered and nodded. “What about this?” he asked, his hand moving to the back of his head to entangle his fingers with his hair. Kyungsoo gulped and nodded again. “This?” he whispered, his thumb lightly caressing his lower lip.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo whispered back.
“I’m not a dream, Kyungsoo,” Jongin spoke.
“But you were-,” Kyungsoo tried to interrupt.
“Not anymore,” Jongin shook his head. “I’m here and I’m real.” He moved his head down and kissed him. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Kyungsoo gave in, sighing into the kiss and wrapping his arms around his neck. Suddenly, he pulled back, making Jongin blink in confusion. “But you can never disappear anymore like before. I’ve been unselfish once. I don’t think I can do it again. You have to promise that we’ll be disgusting like Baekhyun and Chanyeol are. Even more so, if we can help it. If not, I don’t know, I’ll just tie you to my bed with chains or something.”
Jongin looked surprised for a second then laughed. “That sounds very inviting. I didn’t know you were kinky,” he winked at him when Kyungsoo turned red.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kyungsoo murmured, thinking that the carpet looked very interesting.
“I promise we’ll be disgusting like Baekhyun and Chanyeol are,” Jongin declared, hand over his heart.
“Really?” Kyungsoo looked up hopefully.
“Want to bet on it?” Jongin wiggled his eyebrows.
“Oh my god, my friends have corrupted you,” Kyungsoo groaned like it was the end of the world.
Jongin laughed and tugged Kyungsoo closer, wrapping him in a tight hug.
“And is he your dream?” Junmyeon had asked him back then.
As he looked up at Jongin and felt every part of him being enclosed by this wonderful fantasy, he couldn’t help but think, No, he’s my reality.
END.
Author's Notes:
1. This was originally a stand-alone KaiSoo fic, but it evolved into something connected to Someday Dream. It can still be read by itself, though, I think. :)
2. KaiSoo is such a cute pairing really. But they've been tagged into this angst couple and I wanted something happy. Let's all have happy!KaiSoo.
3. This happens a little bit ahead of Someday Dream, then it overlaps.
4. Comments/Suggestions/Violent reactions are welcome. ^^